B.K.S. Iyengar at 85
Krishnamacharya
Pattabhi Jois
T.V.K. Desikachar
Swami Sivananda
by Peggy Kelley
YOGA is a Sanskrit word meaning UNION or JOINING.
Yoga is the practice of being completely, wholeheartedly present or mindful in one's life, whether driving, working, practicing Yoga poses, cooking, playing with a child, or making love.
All Yoga practice can lead to heightened awareness and greater joy. Our Western culture has embraced Hatha Yoga in particular, acknowledging its positive effects on both body and mind. Hatha Yoga balances strength with flexibility, tones the vital organs, offers restorative healing and provides aerobic conditioning.
Today's lifestyles are hectic and time can be a limiting factor, so many teachers have made videos or written books.
When choosing a yoga class, ask your teacher where he or she was trained, if they're certified, and how long they've been teaching. Be sure to tell your teacher if you have ANY kind of injury or illness and don't be afraid to trust your intuition regarding which class is right for you.
Ananda Yoga: A gentle, meditative style of Hatha yoga, developed by a Westerner, Swami Kriyananda. Kriyandana had been a student of Swami Paramhansa Yogananda, the author of Autobiography of a Yogi. The Expanding Light is Ananda´s retreat center in Nevada City, California. [http://www.expandinglight.org/]
Anusara Yoga: Developed by John Friend, an American Yogi who trained in the Iyengar and Ashtanga traditions before developing Anusara, this method combines alignment, attitude and action. Anusara can be challenging, but is always nurturing as well. Meditation is part of the practice, so there will be some silent sitting time in a class in this style. [http://www.anusara.com/]
Ashtanga Yoga/Power Yoga: Pattabhi Jois, (who along with Iyengar studied with Krishnamacharya, the great Yogi of Madras) uses the word Ashtanga to apply to his very challenging and gymnastic series of yoga flows or vinyasas. These flows begin with what is called First Series and go through Fifth or Sixth series, depending on whom you ask. An Ashstanga Yoga practice follows a set sequence (series) from beginning to end without stopping. This is designed to develop and maintain heat in the body, which cleanses at a cellular level. Beryl and Thom Birch teach Ashtanga Yoga but call it Power Yoga, and wrote a book by that title. Basically Power Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga are the same thing. [http://www.ashtanga.com/ or http://www.power-yoga.com/]
* You can read more about Pattabhi Jois in Yoga Journal: Sept/Oct 1988 and Jan/Feb 1995, and in Yoga International Jan/Feb 1994.
Bikram Yoga: a style of asana which involves working in a very hot room, up to 100F. Usually the same series of 26 poses is taught, including standing, balancing, backbending, and twisting poses. You can read more about Bikram in Yoga Journal, March/April 2000 or at http://www.bikramyoga.com.
Hatha Yoga: Most American Yoga classes are a variation of Hatha Yoga (physical postures). The postures of Hatha Yoga range from the seemingly simple (standing erect) to the very complex (putting your feet behind your head and balancing on your hands). Hatha is Sanskrit word that consists of two syllables, ha, which referrs to the sun or solar energy, and tha, which refers to the moon or lunar energy. Thus, Hatha Yoga is often defined as a physical practice that balances the solar/lunar, masculine/feminine, or hard/soft energies in the human body. It's also sometimes defined as the aspect of Yoga in where adamant will-power is applied. Some Yoga classes take a hard-core, athletic, aerobic approach to the practice of poses (for example, "Power Yoga", "Ashtanga Yoga", or "Hard-Work" yoga). Other Yoga classes take a slower-paced, more meditative approach to the practice of the poses (usually called "Restorative", "Meditative" or "Gentle-Work" classes).
Integral Yoga: Originated by Swami Satchidananda, whose organization is headquartered in Virginia, Integral Yoga is a meditative approach. Based on his motto, "peaceful, easeful, useful," the poses are linked slowly together emphasizing easy flow of breath. A class will usually include breathwork, meditation and guided relaxation. [http://www.integralyogaofnewyork.org/]
Iyengar Yoga: This may be the most popular style of Hatha Yoga in the U.S. today due to the great skill and teaching genius of the 80+ year old B.K.S. Iyengar of Poona, India. He has taught thousands of students from the world over and focuses on precise attention to alignment in every pose. Basic to his system are the standing poses, often held longer than they are in other styles of Yoga. Props such as blocks, belts, and blankets are sometimes used in Iyengar-style classes to give the body support. An Iyengar yoga class may be slow, soft and meditative if it is billed as "restorative", or it may be extremely challenging and physically demanding if it is billed as "hard work". Read more about Iyengar in Yoga Journal: Nov/Dec. 97, and May/June 99. [www.bksiyengaryoga.com, www.iynaus.org, www.iyascus.org, www.iyengar-yoga.com]
Kripalu Yoga: Created by Amrit Desai whose teacher, Kripaluvananda, supervised the creation of a three-stage approach to yoga asana. First, there is willful practice that concentrates on alignment, breath, and mind/body connection. Second, there is willful surrender involving holding the poses beyond the level of tolerance deepening the mind/body connection. Third, there is meditation in motion, where students endeavor to completely release internal tensions and develop greater trust in the wisdom of the body to enter a state of deep meditation. The Kripalu organization has a lovely center in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts.[http://www.kripalushop.org/kripalu/]
Kundalini Yoga: Yogi Bhajan, who is centered in New Mexico, developed the 3HO foundation, based on teaching a Yoga for Happiness, Holiness and Healthiness. According to Bhajan, this tradition was secret in India before he brought it to the west. A Kundalini class will usually combine dynamic postures, breathing, chanting and meditation on mantras. [http://www.3HO.org]
Sivananda Yoga: Developed by students of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, India, Sivananda Yoga emphasizes a five pointed approach. Proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet, and positive thinking and meditation. The asana (postures) practice is based on 12 basic poses, and Sivananda classes usually also include chanting, breathwork, and meditation. The organization has several centers worldwide. [http://www.sivananda.org/]
Viniyoga: developed by T.V.K. Desikachar based on his studies with his father Krishnamacharya (also the guru of Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois). This style of yoga emphasizes gently combining breath with movement, maximizing the appropriate aspect of each individual based on their age and condition. For a young person, the emphasis is on healthy growth and development, for the adult, maintaining health for good productivity is emphasized, for the older person, developing the quest for self-realization is emphasized. Gary Kraftsow of Hawaii and Stan Hafner of Austin are senior U.S. students of Desikachar. [Gary at http://www.viniyoga.com/ and Stan at http://www.oneyoga.com/]
Happy practicing!
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